


It's just a party

by TheIronDragonLover (RannaFic)



Series: With Friends Like These [6]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-28 11:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6326932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RannaFic/pseuds/TheIronDragonLover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vivienne wants them to come to a party and Blackwall has a request of his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's just a party

"You want us to go to a party?" Vivienne smiled "It will be fun darling." The Inquisitor scowled "I've never liked these type of events and that was before the last one which ended up almost destroying my relationship with Bull. The one before that I ended up fighting with demons and then with Grand Duchess Florianne!" Vivienne was unmoved "There was dancing too if you remember my dear. You liked that didn't you?" She smiled at Bull "Convince him please. The gala is in Orlais in a week. It gives you plenty of time to get Lavellan a nice formal outfit. You can wear the same dress uniform you wore to the Winter Palace previously" The Inquisitor started to object but Vivienne simply smiled at him and sauntered out Bull's "Yes ma'am" following quietly behind her. Lavellan looked at Bull and groaned it looked like he was going to the party.

Lavellan smiled looking around the room. This party had a distinct absence of demons, dead servants, attackers and the need to sneak around so it was an entirely different experience. It also helped that Bull had promised him no less than 4 dances, one of which was to be a waltz, so he was looking forward to that. Just as the guests were preparing to move to dinner the herald announced "The Divine Victoria". Lavellan looked up in delight. He saw Cassandra very infrequently these days and was thrilled to have an opportunity to meet with his friend. He moved towards her immediately and pulled her into his arms for a hug before flushing in embarrassment and backing off quickly. Iron Bull came up behind him laughing and bowed deeply to Cassandra whose eyes were dancing. "Cassandra I'm sorry I forgot, I was just so glad to see you and it's been so long and ..." She cut off his apologies with a smile. "I have been trying to get people to be less formal with me so I can hardly object to your efforts in that direction." Lavellan flushed but was soon put at ease by Cassandra and Iron Bull starting on a series of reminisces about their former travels together and Bull bringing her up to date on their fight with Hakkon which she admitted would have been wonderful to participate in. Eventually after Juliana came up and made some pointed remarks about mingling Lavellan moved away reluctantly, though he was not sure of what to make of Cassandra's response to his parting remark about not knowing she had been invited being met with "I wasn't"

After dinner Lavellan was mingling as promised, well in between dances. He had memorized a series of polite stock phrases that he was cycling between, so all in all it was a great party. Just as he was set to move on to the next party guest Leliana moved gracefully up to him looking, to his eyes at least, worried though he suspected the other guests would never be able to tell. He sighed, ah well he should have known nothing would be that easy. After finding a quiet corner to talk Leliana explained. "It appears that you arriving here at Vivienne's party has convinced certain persons that you will easily transfer your support to her if something untoward should happen to Cassandra." Lavellan couldn't believe it "Are you telling me that Vivienne is thinking of what, forcing out, or gods forbid getting rid of Cassandra!" Leliana looked worried "Honestly I cannot tell. It is certainly clear that she invited a large number of people who are unhappy with Cassandra's reforms of the Chantry but whether she is deliberately plotting against Cassandra is impossible to tell. She is too smart to do something such as that obviously." She smiled suddenly "Your obviously enthusiastic greeting of Cassandra has certainly set the cat among the pigeons. Quite a few guests have suddenly developed great enthusiasm for The Divine Victoria" Lavellan could almost feel his ire rise. "I would have assumed Vivienne would know I would never, the Inquisition would never do otherwise than fully support Cassandra. I was the one who supported her in the first place." Leliana shrugged and Lavellan suddenly lost his temper "Well I'm putting a stop to this right now." He stalked off ignoring Leliana's call to know "What are you planning?" Lavellan was done with sneaking around and he was going to put a stop to this right now. He marched straight up to Vivienne and announced as loudly as possible "I hear that there are guests here disloyal to the Divine Victoria. People who think you'd be better in her place. You'd better know Vivienne that if anything happens to Cassandra you won't live to be the next divine." There was a horrified silence and then the guests around Vivienne began to dissipate, not quite running but close. Lavellan glared and then walked off to calm down. To his surprise Iron Bull who he had noted had come up quietly behind him remained behind standing near Vivienne. He thought about calling him over but then shrugged Iron Bull could take care of himself.

Iron Bull watched his Kadan stalk off then turned to Vivienne. Her smile was vicious "Well darling hanging around with the pariah?" Bull glanced around to make sure that no one was close enough to hear him "Let's keep them guessing shall we?" Vivienne looked surprised "There was some chattering and I discussed them with Cassandra and we felt it best to head them off at the pass so to speak but how did you know?", Bull found himself suppressing laugther "Former Ben Hasserath remember." Vivienne smiled honestly then "I think I have underestimated you The Iron Bull." Bull was glad for the confirmation even though he had been very sure "Let's just say even the Divine Victoria would know not to come to one of your parties without an invitation." Vivienne's laugh rang out through the room at that and Bull congratulated himself on a real achievement. He turned to move away and found Vivienne's hand on his arm "One thing Bull. Despite Lavellan's somewhat dramatic anouncement I do consider him a good friend, one of the few I have. Circumstances have been very confusing for the two of you so I allowed some things to slide but know this. If you ever hurt him again I will show you what this ice mage can do and I won't ask the Inquisitor's opinion on whether or not to have mercy this time. Do you understand me" Iron Bull was honestly surprised "You're probably the last one of his friends that I would expect to go so far for him." Vivienne's voice was quiet "He sought out and provided me with what I needed without any question, even though we were pressed for time, even though it was difficult and dangerous. It did not help Bastien but I will never forget" Bull nodded he could respect that. 

"You mean it was a plot to make Cassandra safer?" Bull nodded. He adored his Kadan but the man definitely did not have the kind of twisty mind necessary for plotting. Lavellan paused "I should apologize to her." he turned to go back to the party and Bull had to drag him back. "If you go back now it was all for naught." At Lavellan's look of distress he softened "Wait. We'll send her a note through Leliana. I'm sure the two of them can figure out a convoluted story for bringing her back into your good graces openly which will confuse the issue even more but anyone even thinking such a thing will now see her as their only reasonable chance given your dramatic display" Lavellan groaned "I feel like an idiot" Bull was sincere "Don't. You did exactly the right thing." He grinned "Did I tell you she gave me a shovel speech?" Lavellan was puzzled "A what?" "Told me if I hurt you again she'd kill me. I think she is more your friend than I realized." Lavellan could not decide whether to be annoyed or smug and finally settled for both "Ha! I knew I was right, but can we please be done with my friends threatening you!" Bull smiled down at him "Tell you what when we get back to Skyhold we'll seek out Blackwall and be done with it."

Thom Rainier was puzzled "You want to know what I want?" Lavellan sighed "What brilliant plan you have to help us, what concern about our relationship, what small task you need help with." He glared at Iron Bull as he interjected "What unquenchable desire you hold, what impossible task you need done." Blackwall frowned at the last and then sighed "Well ... since you ask." Lavellan groaned an Bull nearly fell over laughing but eventually the three of them, plus Leliana at Thon's request, were ensconsed in a quiet nook and he started explaining. "The thing is, I want out of the Grey Wardens"

Blackwall thankfully was not looking to reverse his connection to the darkspawn but only to disassociate himself from an organization he felt some trepidation about and avoid getting dragged in to whatever was happening around Weisshaupt. After some discussion Lavellan thought that the only solution was to create a haven of sorts, and one that would be impenetrable to the kind of 'calling' that Corypheus had used. First they had to find a location big enough to hold the people and resources necessary to be self sustaining, or as Iron Bull put it "No point in an impenatrable sanctuary if you have to leave every week to buy food." Initially they thought about the valley in the Hinterlands where they had killed the Fereldan Frostback but eventually they settled on the hidden valleys in the Crows Fens area of the Exalted Plains. A friend of Varric had come up with an ingenious device which would make it look like a rock fall had closed off the tunnel to the area off again but in actuality leave a passage which could be opened with a hidden switch. A magical barrier would be thrown over the whole thing for good measure. The only problem was that the magical barrier would also block the ability to sense darkspawn. Now the Inquisition knew about their 'personal Grey Wardens' but who could predict what the future would hold. It was essential that the Grey Warden's be able to detect if darkspawn started overrunning the world. Finally Lavellan brought Dorian into the little conspiracy and he was able to tune the magic shield so that it would sense the darkspawn and then 'transmit' a warning by coloring the sky above the refuge an ominous red.

Once they had solved the where issue they still needed to figure out who would go there with Blackwall and how to set them up with all the inital supplies they would need to start farms, build houses and the like. Fortunately Thom had found enough other Grey Wardens who also wanted a fresh start away from the current leadership and wanted to build a life elsewhere, and enough of them had families that they could form a viable community. Iron Bull and Varric handled getting together the supplies and Lavellan carefully asked no questions. Finally everything was arranged and Lavellan gave Blackwall a quick hug goodbye before closing the magic barrier behind him.

As they walked away from the hidden valley Iron Bull asked "So that's it then no more friends disrupting our lives with plans or plots or requests." Lavellan laughed "There were upsides. I finally got to be wooed, you actually talk to me about our relationship and we have a volunteer if we ever want a threesome." Bull grinned "I also got to see you all in pink" and then nearly fell over laughing at Lavellan's expression before sobering up. "Nothing was entirely bad but I must admit I'm glad we don't have any more friends." Lavellan laughed "What about Solas?" Iron Bull glared "I told you nobody counts him. In any case he can hardly be any worse than the rest of our friends." Lavellan hoped those would not turn out to be famous last words.


End file.
